Apparatus for agitating and spraying liquids



Feb. 2, 1960 DAM, v HORN 2,923,440

APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND SPRAYING LIQUIDS.

Filed March 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2, 1960 D. M. VE HORN 2,923,440

APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND SPRAYING LIQUIDS Filed'March 18, 1955 2 She ets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. pa v19 M. Wfloem APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND SPRAYIN G a LIQUIDS It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and effective process and apparatus for agitating and spraying a liquid, and for mixing the liquid during such agitation with any co-present liquids or solids. This process and apparatus are for stirring up and mixing many kinds of liquids, such as paints, disinfectants, and insecticides, especially those in which small amounts of liquid or solid concentrates are mixed into larger amounts of water or other diluent, whether such concentrates are additives to the liquid or are substances which have separated from the main liquid, and for then spraying to the desired place the substantially uniform liquid product produced by such agitation.

In carrying out my invention, in its preferred form, a

suitable air-compressor forces air into a suitable agita-' tion or. mixing tank, in which the air is efiectively distributed by distributing pipes to produce a thorough agitation and mixing of the tank contents both before and during the spraying operation, and builds pressure in the tank for that spraying after the desired initial agitation and mixing has been done. The tank is desirably mounted on wheels, for ready mobility; and desirably the air compressor and its operating motor are mounted on the tank to be moved with it. The air-distributing pipes are so arranged in the tank that the incoming air efliciently agitates the liquid and any co-present material, and circulates them throughout the tank and especially at and along the bottom thereof. When desired, substantially all the liquid may be forced from the tank, to avoid contamination of a new mixture from mixtures previously in the tank; The tank is provided with a readily openable filling opening, through which the agitating and mixing operation may readily be observed and which maybe closed when desired to produce building up of pressure within the tank. V i The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, in partial vertical section, of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. l, with some parts broken away; V

r Fig. 3'is a diagrammatic view of one arrangement of valvesand control mechanisms, especially suitable when "the driving motor is an internal combustion engine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing another arrangement of valves, circuits, and control mechanisms,

motor.

An'agitation and mixing tank 10, shown as cylindrical with curved pressure-sustaining ends, is desirably suitably mounted on a carrying axle 11 having a pair of carryespecially suitable when the driving motor is an electric ingwheels 12*by which it"can readily be move'dfrom placeto placeyand has an additional support-leg 13 for providing a third point of support when the apparatus is at rest. Conveniently the tank has an operating handle 14, for moving it on the wheels 12.

Desirably mounted on top of the tank10 is an aircompressor 20, shown as of the vertical reciprocating 2,923,440 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 type. The air-compressor takesin air from the atmos phere, anddischarges it through a n outlet pipe ,21 and,

a check-valve22 into a main air-supply. pipe 23 leading down into the tank'ltl at about its mid-point. The air supply pipe 23 extends down into the tank 10, desirably to a little below its mid-height, and at its lower end divides into a plurality of smaller constricted-end airdistributing pipes 24, 25, 26; which distribute the air to and discharge it under pressure at various points near the bottom of the tank, to produce efiectiveagitation and mixing of the tank contents. -In the preferred-arrangement, the middle air-distributing pipe 26 extends straight down nearly to the bottom of the tank, so that the air it dischargesdownwardly under-pressure will spread out in all directions sideways and produce agitation and mixing of the material there. .The otheritwo air-distributing pipes 24 and ZS'diScharge air underlpr'essurein opposite directions, through their restricted-ends, toward the two ends of the tank and closetothibot't'bm thereof, to move liquid along the bottom of the tank and up the ends of the tank and thus to produce agitation and promote intimate and thorough mixing of the material in the tank. At the bottom near one end of the mixing'tank'10 is a discharge pipe 30; which supplies the mixed liquid through a hose 31 to a spray nozzle 32, and which is desirably provided with a manualcontrol-valve"33,,and with a valved drain-pipe 34 for draining the contents of the tank when desired. Desirably directlylover the mixtitre-discharge pipe 30 is a filling opening 35, throughwhich the operator supplies the ingredients-(paint, disinfect'ant, insecticide, etc.), is able both to observe the agitating and mixing operation, and may inserta hose or other device for cleaning the mixing tank 10 when desired. The filling opening 35 is desirably longer in one direction than in the other, as by being oval in shape, to permit the insertion and removal of a--correspondingly oval closure plate 36 normally held tight against the inner end of the filling opening 35 by a wing nut 37 operating on a spanner bar. 38 to pull thethreaded stem 39 of the closure plate 36 upward in known manner.

Also suitably mounted on top of the tank 10, .conveniently near one end, is a fitting 45 provided .with a pressure gage 46, and with a valved opening through which compressed air from the tank may be supplied to an air-hose 47.

The outletpipe 21 from the air compressor is de sirably provided with a loop 48,'which serves both to reduce vibration and to provide additional capacity in that outlet pipe.

The air-compressor is operated by a suitable source of power, alsoconvenientlymounted on top of the mixing tank 10. That source of power is shown as aninternal combustion engine 51 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; and as an electric motor'52 in Fig. 4. w

The operation of the system is controlled in response to the air pressure in the mixing tank. To that end, a pressure pipe 55, shown as extending upward from a fitting in the outlet pipe 21 between the check-valve 22 and the mixing tank 10 so that it carries the tank-pressure at all times, extends to a suitable pressure-responsive device, such as a diaphragm 56. That diaphragm flexes under variations in the tank pressure to effect the desired control. v

When the source of power is the internal combustion engine 51, of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the diaphragm 56 con veniently acts to hold open the intake valve 57 of the air-compressor 20 when the tank-pressure rises to a predetermined maximum. By this holding open of the intake valve 57, the air-compressor 20 ceases to compress air, and it and its driving engine idle without load. When the pressure in the mixing tank 10 drops to a predetera mined lower value, the diaphragm 56 flexes in the other direction, and releases the intake valve 57 for normal operation. as an intake valve; whereupon, the air-cornpressor 20. resumes its air-compressing operation. With 7' this arrangement, the device as a whole'may be moyedfrom place to place on its supporting wheels 12 without stopping'the engine or the air-compressor; and it may be so movedcvenwhen the liquid from the tank is being discharged through the spray-nozzle 32..

When. the source of power is the electric motor 52, of Fig, :4, the diaphragm 56 exerts .a double control-on an electric switch '6 1 in'the circuit of the electric motor, andbn arelief valve 62'forthe outlet pipe 21; to open both theswitch 61andttherelief valve 62 when the tank pressure rises to the predetermined maximum value, and topermit the closing of both the switch and the relief valve when the pressure falls to a predetermined, lower value. 7 In the arrangement shcwn in Fig. 4, the'diaphragm 56acts onr a bell-crank 63 biased: against the d p as y ju ble spring 64. The s-'1- 'crank is desirably provided with a spring-catch 65 for holding itineither extreme position in which it happens to'be untilthe total force acting on it is sufiicient to moveit to the other position against that holding action; whereupon that bell-crank snaps to'that' other position.

When the tank-pressure rises, and the diaphragm 56 moves the bell-crank 63to' open position, the electric 7 motor, 52'and the air-compressor'20. stop, and the air pressureinthe outlet-pipe 21' between the air-compressor and" the check-valve 22 is. released. When the'tankpressure drops sufiiciently, the spring 64 moves the bellcrank'to'closed position,to close' both the switch 61 and the relief valve.62; whereupon the electric motor 52 starts again, to operate theair-compressor 20, and does so easilybecause of the unloading produced by the. opening of'the relief valve.

- In operation, the material or'materials tor the desired liquidto be sprayed are put into the tank 10 through the filling opening 35, either with or without having the airecompressor operating; for the open'filling opening prevents production of pressure in the mixing tank. Then the air-compressor is started into operation,- (if his not already in operation) "with the filling opening 35 still,

open." "Under these conditions the air-compressor discharges air under. pressure through the outlet pipe 21,

the main distributing pipe 23, and the smaller distributing pipes 24', 25, and 26, to agitate and"tl'ioroug hly Imix whatever is in the tank 10. The agitation'and mixing may-'bewatched through the fillingopening'3'5. When suflici'ent'agitation and mixing has been done, the filling opening 35 is closed by the closing plate 36 and-the wing-nut 37 Asthe air-compressor now continues to operate, it continues toagitate and mix the material in the, tank 10; but it, also builds up pressure, in, the tank above the liquid therein. When that pressure reaches the desired.

and 3, or by closing the motor switch 61 and the unloading valve 62 in Fig. '4.

This operating cycle is repeated'as often as required, and the pressure in the tank is maintained within predetermined limits.

I The apparatus may be movedfrom place to placeas desired, with or withoutstopping the spraymg operation or the air-compressor'or its action. V V,

When the desired spraying hasbeen completed, the aircompressor is stopped, by stopping, itsengine 51 or its electric motor 52.'-

Air under, pressuremay'be obtained as desired through the air hose 47; which may also be used to discharge air pressure from the tank when'desired;

When it is desired. to change liquids, the liquid remaining in the tank may be drawn off through the drain pipe 34. Substantially complete emptying of the tank may be obtainedbecause of thelocation of the drain pipe near one endofthe 'mixing tank and of having the inner end of the drain pipe substantiallyfiush with'the inner surface of the tank: If iti's desired to scrub out the tank after such" emptying, a hose may be inserted through the'filling opening 35, and a thorough washing of the tank and a thorough flushing outo'f any material adhering to its inner surface thusobtain ed I" claim as my invention:

l Anapparatus' for-"preparingand spraying liquids,

comprising a tank having aclosable filling opening near one end, an air-supply pipe extending into said tank' to supply air theretogsaid pipe having a plurality of airdischarge-tubes mountedonthe bottomxthereof for direc ting streams ofair along and toward thebottom of the tank to-agitatetlie contents of said tank,,a liquiddischarge outletatthe bottom of said tank below said filling opening and having valvemeans for selectively discharging the liquid in thetanktoa drain' andto a hose connection feeding a spring nozzle, a compressormotor unit mounted, on saidtank and connected to the air-supply pipe forsupplying air under pressureto the tank, a pairofwhe'elsmounted below the tank adjacent its longitudinal center, and a, support-leg mounted on the underside of the tank at the end opposite the liquid-discliargeoutlet, said support-leg in combination with said wheels supporting the tank in"a normal level position andpermi'ttiugsaid tank to betilted on'said wheels in the direction 'of 'the liquid discharge outlet tor draining 2Q Arr apparatusas' set fortlr in c lair n 1 with the addition that said air-supply pipe extends downwardly into said-tank at substantially the" longitudinal center thereof,

first pipe and; discharge substantiallyoppositely along the bottom of the tank; 7 2 g ReferencesiCiteth intthe fil erof this patent UNI'FEDSTATES PATENTS 1,194,358 Cecil Aug. 15,1916

1,437,331 Alexander Nov. 28, 1922 1,509,222 Bayne, S ept.. 23 1924 1 1,764,545: Brown June 17, 1930 2,347,267: iJowers Apr. 25, 1944 Fleck, ....L.;..L.....,.... Oct. 11. 1955 

